French Move East and North.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 12 October 1918, Page 3

French Move East and North.

idLOSING liN ON iLAOiN 1 .

ENEMY RETREAT IN CHAMPAGNE.

Received tlhis day, 9.20 a.m. I iKjndon, October 11. A iFrench communique timed, 4 'a.m. ©f St. Quentin our troops, closely maintaining contact, continued to pursue the, enemy whose irearguiairds are resisting severely. _ We advanoedi six kilometres at certain pointe and carried our .lines to east of Sebonoourt, the outskirts of Bernoville, east of Mont/i----gny-en-Axrouaise and 'Bernot. We oocupied numerous villages, including Foulain, Neuvillette, SRegny, Chatillon-surJOise and TfaeneTles. South of -the Oiso we captured bervaifi and took prisoners. Between the Ailette and the Ansne the pressure of our troops assisted by Italian units operating on ,both sides oi the Oh'emin des Dames forced the Germans to iretire beyondi thf Oise Canal. Notwithstanding violent machine gunning we captured Peaunne. Ohivy, Vern»uil. Couirtonne, Bourse and Cfemin. Simultaneously crossing the Aisne east of Oeu illy we drove back the enemy northwards and occupied Pargnan and Baurieux. , , , Farther east we attacked strongly north of Berry-au-Bao And gained ground, taking prisoners. In the Champagne thfe enemy', ex- ' hausted by incessant, and severe fighting since September 26 on .the fromit of our Fourth Army, began Mim morning to retreat in the direction of the Aisne. Out infantry is hustling the rear guards who are attempting to arrest our advance. We passed the villages or l<iry, Montlhois and Ohallerange and reached the outskirts of Mont St.' Martin .and St. Morel. . ' .. Further on our right we crossed the Aisne Oppjosite Termes which we nolo. We occupied the station of -Grand "re ■where prisoners were taken. Despite the fog on the 9th our observing aeroplanes made numerous reconnaissances far into enemy territory. Great concentrations of troop® were re. ported andi. -these were attacked by massed squadrons of aeroplanes who dropped 33, tons of bombs and fired thousands of cartridges witJbi successful results on the troops and oonvoys. During theise operations 21 enemy machines were brought down. The fog was denser at night when only 54 tons were dropped on various stations.